The Latest
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Restaurant trend outlook for 2024
Slow traffic, growing interest in afternoon snacking and trends toward value menus, digital and in-store personalization will shape the restaurant landscape.
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McDonald’s to focus on digital marketing with new fund
The fund, which will be paid with existing contributions, will allow the chain to market more effectively to customers within its app.
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Potbelly unveils smaller, digital-centric prototype
The 1,800-square-foot design is 500 square feet smaller than a traditional Potbelly store, which CEO Robert Wright said will help lower construction and lease costs.
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Thai Union to fully divest from Red Lobster by the end of year
The minority owner is engaging with potential buyers after determining Red Lobster’s financial requirements no longer align with its capital allocation plans.
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California bans hidden fees starting July 1
The state will require businesses to include all mandatory fees in listed prices, making it harder for restaurants to impose service charges.
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Operators predict continued catering boom
Return-to-office is increasing demand for business catering as employers use meal plans to draw workers in-person, according to a survey from ezCater.
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Dutch Bros expands mobile order test
After seeing strong results from its initial pilot, the chain has expanded the channel to several more Arizona locations and expects to offer the function at most stores by the end of the year.
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Smoothie King hires Yum Brands exec as CFO
Gavin Felder, who most recently served as chief strategy officer at Yum Brands, joins the chain as it continues an aggressive growth push with positive same-store sales momentum.
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Portillo’s four-pronged strategy emphasizes drive-thru speed
The chain is working to improve staff deployment and food throughput as part of an overhaul plan, as drive-thru speeds lag 2019 numbers.
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Wendy’s credits loyalty program, mobile app investments for customer growth
“The experience we deliver to our customers is the most impactful driver of our business,” CEO Kirk Tanner said.
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Dine’s sales sour on virtual brand closures, slow traffic
IHOP and Applebee’s promotions and LTOs weren’t enough to offset a dip in consumer spending during Q1.
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Instacart adds restaurant delivery with Uber Eats
Over the next few weeks, Instacart will add a restaurant tab powered by Uber Eats to its app, giving Uber access to potentially millions of new customers.
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Presto tests voice AI tech that doesn’t require human intervention
The company is “in the process of conducting a live test” of an autonomous version of its voice AI product, months after revealing humans intervene 70% of the time it’s used.
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NLRB appeals joint employer ruling to 5th Circuit
A federal judge vacated the Board’s joint employer final rule in March, holding that it was “contrary to law” and “arbitrary and capricious.”
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Starbucks’ late-night delivery pilot ‘doubled our business,’ CEO says
A third-party partner prepared Starbucks orders for delivery offsite between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the coffee giant aims to make a $2 billion business out of this model over the next five years.
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Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno to retire
The restaurant industry executive has been CEO at the Outback parent for five years. The board has begun a search for his successor.
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Sweetgreen targets dinner customers with steak
The salad chain is following up the successful rollout of protein plates last year with steak, which accounted for nearly one-fifth of dinner orders in a pilot.
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Starbucks needs to focus on experience, not transactions, former CEO says
Howard Schultz called on the chain's executives to “spend more time with those who wear the green apron” and to better understand customer needs.
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El Pollo Loco’s new CEO unveils 5-part operations overhaul
From digital investments to incentivizing franchisees to bolster growth, Liz Williams laid out a path she expects will drive sales while decreasing costs.
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Pizza Hut taps Wendy’s exec as US president
Carl Loredo, Wendy’s former global chief marketing officer, joins the pizza chain after U.S. sales slid 6% year over year last quarter.
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Denny’s virtual brands engage Gen Z, fuel off-premise growth
By leveraging slow dayparts like dinner and late night, the casual chain’s three delivery-only brands are increasing sales and capturing younger demographics.
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Biden vetoes bill against joint employer rule
The president scotched Congressional efforts to block a broadened definition of joint employment, though court decisions may yet kill the rule.
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Papa Johns names new chief supply chain officer
Kurt Milburn takes up the role as the pizza chain looks to cut supply chain costs and boost productivity.
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The restaurant labor market in 6 key statistics
Slowing turnover, steady unemployment and flat real wage growth point to growing restaurant employer power over workers compared to 2022 and 2021.
Updated May 3, 2024 -
McDonald’s credits speed, personalization for high satisfaction
The fast food chain is attracting consumers with customized messaging and cementing their loyalty with swift and consistent service.